Review: Pyrimidine Derivatives as Anticancer Agents

Abstract

Cancer is a disease that can be fatal everywhere. It can start in almost any organ or tissue of the body when abnormal cells grow uncontrollably; they go further than their usual boundaries to attack contiguous parts of the body and/or slap-up meal to other organs. The primary problem facing current treatment techniques, such as chemotherapy and radiation, is multidrug resistance (MDR). Finding a unique and varied structural framework could open the door to the creation of fresh, potent anticancer medications. Also, the knowledge in genomics and molecular sciences has helped in creating new drug targets. Pyrimidines, a class of nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds, play a significant role in crafting cancer treatment drugs. These synthetic compounds have proven effective against various cancers, including myeloid leukemia, breast cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. This review presents the findings of several investigations conducted between 2006 and 2023 on pyrimidine derivatives and their corresponding anticancer characteristics.